Wall Street Journal: The Rise of Cooperative Games

In Pandemic and other cooperative games, players work together toward a common objective

“Perhaps the most successful cooperative game is Pandemic, which was originally marketed to serious gamers, but has gone mainstream.” PHOTO: F2Z ENTERTAINMENT – WSJ

When we think about games, we usually imagine two or more players combating one another in a “zero-sum” situation. Whoever doesn’t win must lose, and no one’s interests coincide with anyone else’s. This is the classic, prototypical structure of a game or sport. Checkers, backgammon, gin, tennis and golf all divide fixed amounts of glory, points or money among competitors. Even in team games like bridge or baseball, the rules dictate that one side wins and the other loses.

A new form of board game is upending this convention. In “cooperative games,” all of the players work together to achieve a common objective…..